Giles Jackson's Lament: 'Just Trying to Get Back on the Field'

Enter Ryan Grubb, new Husky offensive coordinator brought in from Fresno State as part of Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff. Grubb initially figured Jackson was a kick returner only.

Then the coach saw him change direction in winter workouts like no one else on the roster and the creative side of this offensive leader took over. He immediately began plotting ways to use this speedster, the Huskies' fastest player with a 4.3-second 40-yard dash time, more to everyone's advantage.

For Jackson, that means running more precise routes to get open and being more deceptive in accepting a variety of handoffs as he tries to turn the corner and get free. Beforehand, he might have relied too much on his speed to get by.

There's also a matter of timing. At Michigan and Washington, Jackson was part of teams that began to lose in large and unexpected amounts — the Wolverines sank to 2-4 in 2020 and the Huskies to 4-8 last fall. Once that happens, coaches typically begin to freak out and gimmicks are the first things that go as everyone tries to get back to basics.

Jackson went from handling the ball 15 times in all manners over the first two games, both losses, to averaging three touches an outing thereafter nearly all on kicks. He stood and watched a lot.

"I was frustrated at times and getting all depressed and all," Jackson said of his first season at the UW. "But there's always going to be something bigger on the other side."

While he departed the Big Ten looking for a new start, remnants of the Big Ten have followed him to Montlake, all of which should help his career along.

The Huskies brought in former Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and one-time Purdue receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, people he knew all about.

"When I saw him coming to Washington," Jackson said of Penix, "it was, 'Oh my goodness, I like this.' "

Shephard has made a good impression on all of the Husky pass-catchers with his positive and animated vibe, most notably with the first of these Big Ten imports over the past two seasons.

"His energy, it makes you want to play," Jackson said. "When he got here, I got super excited because I felt he was going to be what I needed."

Following the first spring scrimmage last Friday, DeBoer told how he spoke with his player during warm-ups and has watched him steadily improve in all of the nuances that come with catching and running the ball.

Jackson said he transferred to Washington a year ago for three reasons. He wanted to move closer to his Northern California home in Antioch and he saw a chance to play with his cousin Vince Nunley, a Husky redshirt freshman defensive back. 

He also wanted to become a full-fledged football player, not just a special-teams hero, not just an add-on. That still might work out for the swift one.

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Husky FanNation stories as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Husky FanNation on Facebook by searching: Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated